Finalists for World Senior team event determined

LAS VEGAS - The Canadian women and the Swedish men held on to the lead in the four-player team qualifying Wednesday afternoon at the World Senior Championships en route to earn the No. 1 seed for the Team finals Thursday morning at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

Cathy Harvey, France Joubert, Sharon Tataryn and Jill Friis of Canada, who led the 19 women's teams after the first block on long oil (Athens), also posted the highest block on short oil (Beijing) to win the women's qualifying with 4789 total and an average of 199.54.

The United States and Sweden battled it out for second place. The U.S. women, singles champion Lucy Sandelin, Anne Marie Duggan, Tish Johnson and Robin Romeo, overtook Sweden with 860 in game five and maintained a 16-pin lead to take second place with 4654 (193.92).

Sweden's Susanne Olsson, Christel Carlsson, Lena Sulkanen and Ann-Ki Larsson Carlsson finished in third place with 4638 (193.25) and will bowl their U.S. rivals in the semifinals.

Finland missed the cut to the top 4 by 65 pins to land in fifth place with 4451 and was followed by Austria in sixth place with 4429.

The two dominating countries in the inaugural World Senior Championships, Sweden and USA, are one win away from a highly anticipated gold medal match. Jan Nordberg, Christer Pettersson, Stefan Yngstrom and singles champion Christer Danielsson led the men's team qualifying since the second game and finished with 5287 pinfall total and an average of 220.29.

Senior Team USA's Ron Mohr, Del Ballard Jr., Hugh Miller and Ed Robert were 276 pins behind in second place with 5011 (208.79). Led by anchor Ron Mohr (1506; 251 average), the USA stayed ahead of Puerto Rico's Antonio Santa, Antonio Velez, Edward Roncoli and Edgardo Ruiz, who remained in third place with 4956 (206.50).

Isaac Amkie, Manuel Garcia, Jesus Gutierrez and Victor Mar of Mexico (right) finished with back-to-back 850s to secure fourth place with 4920 (205.00). The Japanese men, who led after the first game, finished in fifth place with 4760 (198.33), 151 pins off the pace for the playoffs.

Ron Mohr's outstanding performance in the last three days earned the two-time PBA50 Player of the Year a well-deserved gold medal in all-events (combined qualifying results of singles, doubles and team events).

After five Team games (17 overall), Mohr was more than 300 pins ahead of his nearest competitor and had already secured the gold medal. He finished with 4225 total and an average of 234.72 for 18 games, a record that will be hard to break at the second World Senior Championships in 2015.

Silver and bronze went to Swedes Jan Nordberg and Christer Pettersson with 3889 (216.06) and 3880 (215.56).

The top 24 players in all-events advanced to the Masters finals, which will conclude the Championships on Thursday and Friday. Pedro Cardozo of Venezuela and Australia's Warren Stewart were tied for 24th place at 3611 (200.61). Cardozo won a one-ball roll-off, 10-7, to advance.

Robin Romeo, who led the women's all-events heading into the team qualifying, maintained a slim 13-pin lead to claim the gold medal with 3716 total and an average of 206.44.

Suanne Olsson had a chance to tie Romeo needing three strikes in the last frame of the sixth game. Olsson didn't strike on the first shot to take the silver medal with 3703 (205.72). Lucy Sandelin received the bronze medal with 3638 (202.11).

The 1st World Senior Championships runs from Aug. 10 thru 16, 2013. Men and women will compete in separate divisions for medals in five events - singles, doubles, team, all-events and Masters. All participants must be 50 years of age or above in the year of the championships.

The top 24 women and the top 24 men in All-Events will return on Thursday afternoon for the first round of the Masters competition.